Aeromexico plans 7% growth in 2013

Aeromexico anticipates capacity to increase by about 7% in 2013 compared to last year.

The growth in available seat kilometres (ASKs) will come from upgauging aircraft and the maturity of routes that were launched in 2012, says Andres Conesa, chief executive of Aeromexico, during an earnings call on 14 February.

Aeromexico will receive 12 aircraft and remove 11 from its fleet this year, says the carrier's chief financial officer Ricardo Sanchez Baker during the call. It plans to add three Boeing 787-8s, four Boeing 737-800s and five Embraer 170s, and remove three Boeing 767s, two 737-700s and six Embraer 145s.

Conesa says that the fleet plans for 2013 are flexible and allow for Aeromexico to either expand its fleet by up to two aircraft or to shrink it based on market conditions.

"The strategy behind this fleet substitution is [that] this strategy will allow us to continue reducing our cost per ASK," says Baker. "And as we upgauge our fleet we will be able to continue our growth by incorporating more efficient aircraft into our fleet."

The capacity increase will be split between 5% to 6% growth during the first half and 7% to 8% during the second half, say executives. International capacity will also grow faster than domestic capacity.